Basque vocational training and the Basque Technology Park bring together 370 sixth-form students at the Zamudio/Derio Campus to show them the job opportunities available in companies
The HETEL and Ikaslan networks, which bring together private and public vocational training centres from the Basque Government’s Department of Education, and the Basque Technology Park, held the FP/Parke Forum at the Zamudio/Derio Campus. The aim of the forum was to showcase job opportunities in companies within the Technology Park, and it brought together 370 students from eight secondary schools who visited nine Parke companies.
After the presentation in the Auditorium to those in attendance and the institutional welcome, round tables were held with presentations and experiences from former students on scientific and technological vocations and the importance of connecting vocational training with technology companies.
Afterwards, the students visited some of the nine participating companies in groups: AYESA, ESS BILBAO, SISTEPLANT, CFAA, ITELAZPI, SYNGOI, BIC BIZKAIA, ZIV and INGETEAM. The organisations showed the young people what their day-to-day activities are like, as well as the possibilities for professional growth in leading sectors of the industry through vocational training.
In search of talent
FP/Parke aims to spark students’ interest in scientific and technological professions from the perspective of vocational training. To this end, a series of activities is organised for young people in their first year of upper secondary school, as this is the stage at which they must make decisions about their future based on their career expectations. The event highlighted the strengths and job opportunities offered by the different vocational training pathways, while companies and technology centres located in the Euskadi Technology Park in Bizkaia showcased their activities and their need for specific STEM vocational training profiles.
In search of vocational training talent
Of the 23,600 people working at the Euskadi Technology Park, more than 6,000 come from vocational training. The priority sectors that have vocational training profiles in their workforces are ICT, Electronics, Energy and Environment, Biosciences and R&D. Thus, in Energy and Environment, 37% of people have studied vocational training; in Electronics, 36%; in ICT, 33%; and in Biosciences, 28%. In the period 2022-2024, a total of 1,917 people were hired at the Basque Country Technology Park, of whom 765 came from vocational training, almost 40% of new hires. The number of total hires and vocational training hires in recent years has been on the rise, and this positive trend is expected to continue in the coming years, highlighting the importance of upper secondary school students being aware of the job opportunities and companies at the Technology Park and the opportunities offered by vocational training.
The initiative involves collaboration between vocational training centres in the Basque Country – members of the HETEL and IKASLAN associations, which bring together more than 100 centres and 43,000 students – and the Basque Country Technology Park, with more than 670 companies employing around 23,600 professionals.
